Obscure Observations (Crews 3 & 4)

[duckvely]

It has been several weeks since I set out for space. With this being my first time away from Earth, I did not know what to expect, and honestly, I was pretty nervous. These feelings quickly went away when another member of my crew greeted me with a smile. "Welcome to the Moon Bunnies," they told me. From that moment, I knew it was my fate to be a member of the Moon Bunnies. I had heard of other crews consisting of different creatures, but I just felt at home being with the other bunnies.

After traveling throughout space, we eventually ended up in an area called The Bridge. Our first activities were to spot UFOs, play around with gyroids, and do a few card guessing games. Our next destination was The Observatory. There, we gathered star dust, studied constellations, and shared amongst ourselves the items that we had brought to space with us.

Now, we have found ourselves in our final area, The Cargo Hold. I know that this adventure is going to end pretty soon, but I plan on making the most out of what's left. Overall, this journey to space has been a blast, and I'm sure I'm going to miss it.

 

[Bluelady]

Spoiler

Fourteen days remained before the space station went KABOOM! I was part of a crew called ISC; and we were placed alongside another crew called Moon Bunnies. Both teams’ captains left to disable an already ticking countdown timer. Meanwhile, we were assigned to The Observatory to obtain one more gradient star fragment needed to fix the escape pods. The problem was that those fragments were held by our respective spirit guides.

A giant, majestic-looking whale shark was the spirit guide for the ISC. Meanwhile, a human-size, albino rabbit named Ruby was the spirit guide for the Moon Bunnies. At first, we asked our spirit guides if they would be kind enough to give us a gradient star fragment.

“No,” said the whale shark.

“Why not?” someone in the crowd asked.

“In order to reduce the damage caused by the asteroid to the station, we, the four spirit guides, used most of our powers to shield critical infrastructure,” said the whale shark.

“As a result," continued Ruby, “it will take at least a month to create more gradient star fragments with our current power."

Everyone understandably chattered in frightened desperation.

Ruby smiled and cheerfully spoke again, “However, li’l ears, if both crews gather enough stardust for us to consume, then we may be able to reduce that time to one week.”

Now the question that lingered in the air was how would we gather star dust?

The whale shark looked at a corner of the room and said, “See those brooms over there? Use them to collect the star dust. Although some may have already escaped through the vents, and the door when you first entered. It would be wise to inspect other areas of the stations as well.”

Just then a small, dim, flickering light flitted and fluttered behind the whale shark’s fin.

“Oh! Here’s one!” shouted Ruby as she caught it between her paws and quickly swallowed it. “Yum!” she said, licking her lips.

We then split up into our respective crews and searched for dust. However, we quickly learned that it was a tedious process; because there were periods of time where absolutely no star dust appeared. Fortunately for the ISC, we had a member with a talent in critical thinking and numbers. He devised a plan and tested it for accuracy. Lo and behold, it worked! We quickly found stardust in just about every activity.

No alien eggs or moss babies could frighten us. Like starved dogs we visited every nook and cranny in the station. Sometimes the stardust would cling to a person’s uniform; so, we would inspect their chambers for more. We sang and talked to the whale shark while it recuperated. Even during breaks, we restlessly thought up of things to do next. Anyway, we were victorious, because the whale shark spat out a beautiful blue and purple gradient star fragment first! With a joyous cheer we turned in the beautiful star fragment to our captains.

 

[Jhine7]

My experience about this remote planet the International Space Cetaceans have visited during Space Camp TBT has been quite the thrill ride. You really couldn't believe what you were witnessing until you laid your eyes upon it. Everything was backwards! The volcanoes were spewing out water and the ground was lava! Thankfully, years of experience from my childhood prepared me for this exact moment. In order to avoid the lava on the ground, you'd have to let the water from the exploding volcanoes carry and push you from place to place all across the planet. It was fun yet terrifying all at the same time! The only place to rest were the clouds that were hard enough to land on. However we had to be careful. Some of them were raining cats and dogs! It seems like this planet is the one that created some childhood stories that we were all too young to not believe at the time. But here I was believing it! During our rest time on this adventurous remote planet, we got to enjoy the view of the space whales swimming through space! The host aliens were so kind to let us enjoy what our team name was named after! I certainly cannot wait to come back in the future to experience something that others would only dream of. Truly it was a once-in-a-lifetime event for many. My favorite part of Space Camp so far!

 

[Mairmalade]

You'll soon be departing The Cargo Hold! If you're still planning to submit your piece, you have until Tuesday, August 15, at 6:59 PM EDT to post it.

 

[outofwrlds]

Dear Mom and Dad,

Space camp is awesome! I'm so glad I was able to go this year, especially since I couldn't go last year. I know my letter is coming late and I'll be home in a few days, but there's been so many things to do and see that I completely forgot to write! Don't worry, I took tons of pictures to show you and all our neighbors on the island at home.

First, I want to talk about all the new friends I've made. There's tons of people in my space camp crew that I never would have met if I hadn't come. They've been great and helped me have a good time in all the fun camp activities. There's been more to do than I imagined, and tons of things that weren't listed on the brochure. We've gotten mysterious messages over the radio, had an army of baby aliens set loose on the ship, and had a contest to see who had the best space fashion!

We went on a tour of the moon to enjoy a nice walk with a relaxing atmosphere, and saw a group of incredibly rare Moon Bunnies. It's crazy how they live on nothing but stardust and moon beams. When we stopped for lunch, we ran into another group of campers. They were strange aliens that called themselves The Galaxolotls. They were very nice shared their food with us. The popsicles were amazing, but freeze-dried pizza is NOT pizza, no matter what Sasha says. We also saw a bunch of Internation Space Cetaceans flying overhead when we were about to leave. Did you know a pod of Space Cetaceans is called a pod, but a group of International Space Cetaceans is called an iPod? There was also something else I saw on the moon trip that was odd. I think I saw... well, Actually, Nevermind, I'm not sure what it really was. Some sort of UFS, an unidentified flying squirrel?

Things weren't perfect aboard The Lopez, there were some incidents that gave us trouble. I had some problems with my cryosleep pod. It froze up and I missed a lot of events at the beginning of the camp, but the campers helped me out and I managed to catch up to them in the end. Also, Captain Gulliver kept disappearing, breaking his communicator, and getting the whole ship lost. Who put this birdbrain in charge? It worked out in the end, as we often turned these troubles into fun games, where we all worked together to get the ship back on course.

All in all, this is the most fun I've ever had camping. I've made so many new friends, played lots of new games, and learned a ton. I'll admit I'm ready to be back on solid ground, but I don't think I'll ever be tired of Space Camp. I can't wait to see what kind of camp I get to enjoy next year!

Lots of love,
outofwlrds

Spoiler: Author's Note

I thought an epistolary story would work for this event. It was fun to write! I had a hard time keeping it below 500 words and hat to cut out a whole paragraph to get it to 498.

Sorry to The Galaxolotls, I tried to get your color right.

 

[Kitsuragi]

How do you define belonging? Are we merely cogs in a machine by going through the motions? Could it be something beyond our comprehension of what is within our purview on this earthly planet? I often think about a quote by a scientist I admire when I ask myself this question. "Nihil novi sub sole." There's nothing new under the sun, he told me. As long as our world keeps turning, humanity may never seek the answer to understand the greater concept of a “place” for us all. Though we all may have a home, somewhere to occupy, it’s not just about a body- it’s about consciousness—genius loci of the heart.

I took off with a group of dedicated individuals amid the July heat, stationed in an unfamiliar ship labeled as “The Lopez,” which means “The Son of Wolf.” Wolves are often known to hunt in packs, groups of organized individuals with one common purpose: To survive. But I ask again, is it enough to just survive? No, I’ve learned- it’s never enough. Through trials and tribulation, sleepless nights, and endless waking hours, I’ve finally learned what it meant to “belong,” as much as my mind can comprehend it. It’s not just cracking small jokes, smiling, and laughing- it’s a connection. A web weaved beyond individuals with something to give: Hope. Hope for a “win,” hope for something new, hope to explore and discover. To go beyond the atmosphere of our limitations.

Working aboard a ship with a flag clad in purple, allegiance to our cetaceous icon, I’ve found myself feeling fit into a place I never have before. A team, and not just a team to create means to an end; a team who wishes for every single member to thrive like themselves. Encouragement and ambitions are higher in this small cabin than I’ve experienced anywhere else on Earth- or anywhere else in the galaxy, for that matter! During this time, I’ve made something that I’ve never experienced much in my life: Friendships. Artists with hands so gifted their work blind others with incandescent beauty, a leader brilliantly fierce he lights the sails of our ship with haste, and cadets so devoted to their team that they’d sacrifice their good for the needs of others.

As we’ve been transported from observation, cargo, and bridge, the unwavering loyalty is felt through shivers and tingles in my spine. Even though our trip is coming to an end, I will always find myself loyal to our purple-clad cadets. My cetaceous friends, I hope we will all be enjoying the free entertainment while we wait for our ship to descend back to familiar Earth. In this aftermath, there will be something new under our sun. Know that even if we are separated by radio communication and frequencies we can't see, we will always be as one, and in your darkest hour, I implore you to never forget to look to the skies.

Because in dark times, our stars will never go out.

 

[Bob Zombie]

My Quarry​

I had failed.

And Gulliver had won... again.

Staring up as the ship was leaving the surface of this ugly, forsaken, uncharted planet, I could only gaze in hopelessness as my ride and my target were both leaving me... perhaps to die.

***​

I was sent here for the purpose of finally ridding our ship of our number one problem. He never could take the hint every time we tossed him overboard while he slept... and the more weak-willed among the crew always had a change of heart, so we were constantly picking him back up from the numerous islands on the sea.

And just as we started to fear that we would never be able to "take care" of the problem permanently, he managed to find a way into space. Seriously?! We couldn't believe our luck! He was finally going to leave, and hopefully never come back.

However, the more we thought about it, the more worried we were that this would just be a temporary vacation from Gulliver. The hardier among us wanted to know what, exactly, his plan was. One of us would have to follow him, and make sure he never comes back.

We drew straws.

I won.

Or lost, as it appears to be the case now.

I started gathering intelligence about his intentions, and easily discovered the plans for the new space camp that was to shortly fly into orbit. Pretending to be the island representative of a place no one else had heard of, I easily snuck on board the giant craft. Roomy, lively, and with just the right mix of science fiction amenities and comfortable modern living, I used the jovial atmosphere to tail Gulliver. And bided my time.

After waiting for only a few days, I overheard him discuss his plans for a new terrarium, and his plans to leave immediately. I snuck aboard his ship... I didn't have a plan, but I knew if there was to be a chance to prevent him from coming back, this would be it.

Laying down in the dark cargo hold I didn't have any concept of time, but I knew we were flying... and after a indeterminate period of time, I could sense the ship landing.

This was it. My chance. I didn't know what I was going to do. A thought about smashing an engine came to me, but that would leave me here too.

With no idea how to prevent Gulliver from leaving, I listened (and felt) as the doors opened, and I carefully made my way off the ship. And what a feast for the eyes! An amazing alien vista opened before me.

And that was my undoing.

Distracted, I didn't hear him pack up.

I didn't pay attention to the engines starting before it was too late.

***​

And now here I am. Alone. Lost. Strange noises everywhere. The feeling of a thousand eyes watching.

On a planet Ridley Scott would be proud of.

 

[seliph]

i feel weird writing first person so here's a call between secret agents my two favourite villagers! hopefully this is ok. kid cat's messages are bold to make reading easier (i was gonna use name tags but i figured that would make word counting more annoying)

​

---

Psst! Snake! Kid Cat here, do you copy?

I hear you loud and clear, Cat. what's going on?

The four of us have made it to the observatory. Thankfully all teams are done with this place so we could get in undetected. We aren't all sneaky like you rabbits.

You are though, you're a cat.

I'm talking about the literal elephant in the room.

Right.

Anyway, speaking of rabbits, we found both Sasha and Ruby. Two of the teams were using them as mascots for some kind of contest. You'll get a kick out of this though - one team used a whale shark.

Did you say a whale shark?

You heard me, they brought a living, breathing whale shark here to the observatory. At least one team has a good sense of humour, unlike the one that picked Dr. Shrunk.

Hah! Wait, how did Shrunk get in here? He's been unseen since Club LOL went under... You don't suppose he's working with Gulliver?

Relax, Snake. One of the teams invited him, they're named after his species after all. We've been keeping a close eye on him and he's definitely just as clueless as the campers are. How are things looking at the bridge?

Well, there are two teams here, those "Galaxolotls" and "Actually, Nevermind".

...Are you telling me "nevermind" or is it the green team?

The green team. They're both busy playing card games and making gyroid-themed rooms so we've gone completely unnoticed, but I've got some bad news...

What's wrong?

Gulliver's not even on the Lopez right now.

What!?

Yeah, we tapped into his frequency on the way to the station and spent hours decoding his messages. He's stolen the shrink ray gun as suspected, but by the sounds of it he's also gone to some uncharted planet and found aliens!

Are you serious!?

Yeah, he used the gun on them and put them in a jar with holes in the lid.

...Like what we did with bugs as kids?

Pretty much.

So let me get this straight, he flies out to a new planet, finds the locals, pulls a weapon on them, and kidnaps them from their home?

Sounds about right.

This guy's more twisted than I thought...

Yeah, and that's not even counting these alien eggs he's making the campers find that we came for to begin with.

This seagull's gotta be put in his place...

...

...Anyway, just remember to not hurt the campers, they're just pawns in his charade, they have no idea what's going on. And make sure those eggs don't hatch around them!

I know, Bunyip.

...

Shoot, I gotta run, the teams are making their way over here hoping to get pictures of UFOs or something. I'll let you know if we find anything else, including Gulliver.

Sure, I'll check in with our friend in the cargo hold. There's an intense scavenger race between the whales and the bunnies. And hey, Snake?

What's up?





Don't keep me waiting.

 

[Chere.]

Spoiler

July 21st:
It’s the first day of Camp and it seems I’m in crew 3. Checked in with my friends and most of them seem to be in other crews. Kind of sad about that but I’m looking forward to this adventure. I heard we’re going to travel to space? I’m nervous but excited!

July 23th:
How the heck are all my friends finished or working on their passports already?? I’m dying at the fact that Art Fight and Camp overlapping. My crew (crew 3) has been paired with crew 4 for the Bridge, but I’ve been holed up in my room drawing for the Werewolves instead of getting to know my own crew… oops.

July 28th:
We now have colours, names, and flags for all four crews! I’m thrilled and shocked that my flag won?? It was up to the crew members to make a flag for their own team, and mine was chosen. Truly a shocked pikachu moment because my crew had so many amazing flags, but I'm glad so many people liked it. Our crew colour is purple, space whale purple to be exact. And our crew name is the International Space Cetacean. ISC for short maybe? Hopefully that sticks… Loving the space whale aesthetic we have going on.

August 1st:
Another day of camp, another day of neglecting passport. I’ve been doing something way more important, though! While all my other crew mates are getting adjusting to the Observatory, I have once again been holed up in my room drawing… But listen, it’s camp related this time! Something snapped inside me a few days ago and I’ve gone on a spree of making space whale emojis for my crew mates. I know everyone is out exploring the big unknown and whatever, but as someone who is introverted and shy, this is a complete win for me. My teammates and even some of the other crews seem to like them. Even my team leader Mick was secretly yoinking my emojis for himself…

August 3rd:
My crew’s chosen deity is a whale shark, we wildin’ out here. Still neglecting passport btw.

August 6th:
Neglecting passport, I’ll do it tomorrow. The space whale emoji army continues to grow….

August 8th:
Neglecting passport, I’ll do it tomorrow.

August 10th:
I set my whale emoji’s aside to get passport done. My eyes are burning, my hand is dead and my back is broken, but I think I’ve done it. I’m really questioning why I decided to handwrite all the text and not use fonts like a sane person…

August 13th:
Camp is coming to a close soon. I haven’t gone out to explore space as much as I probably should have, but I still had fun! Cargo has been really wild… those scavenger hunts are no joke. Looking forward to heading back home since I’m getting a little homesick.

 

[Minou]

I am about to step into Gulliver's spaceship.

The Captain had sent out letters a week prior to every TBT members advising everyone of the necessities to bring aboard the ship. He also clearly stated at the bottom in bold characters the date and time we had to be present: July 20, 2023 5:00 AM.
Being a late nighter person that can easily wake up past 9AM if I don't set any alarms, I had set up the loudest ringtone on my phone for 4:00 AM and tried to sleep before 10PM.
I was thankfully able to wake up to the alarm. My things were already all packed.
The island is small so it didn't take me long to reach up the mountain where his ship was docked.

To think a day like this would come when I can travel to space.
Truly, it is a dream come true.
My heart is beating very fast from the excitement as I step into the spaceship.
The ship is huge, being able to hold hundreds of members.
I must be one of the last people arriving because the place is packed.

"Ah, are you Minou?"
I turn my head and see the seagull approaching.
"Aye, Captain!"
"Welcome aboard! Make yourself comfortable, the ship is about to take flight soon."
"Thank you Captain, you're too kind."
I keep my hand raised in a salute form until he passes me and heads to speak with another islander.

When the ship departs, I run my way to one of the glass windows to look at the island looking smaller and smaller until it is just a tiny size in the ocean. Not long after, I stare in awe as the ship leaves Earth's surface, the views shifting into an endless space filled with stars, comets and asteroids.
A tear drops down my cheek, moved, as I keep marvelling the scene before my eyes, while I overhear through the speakers:
"In 5 minutes, we will land on The Lopez."

 

[Flaming_Oceans]

Spoiler

Observation Entries

Day 1
I’m so excited to be on this expedition! I wonder what I’ll see, I wonder what I can take photos of! I brought my camera with me just in case I see something cool, which I’m sure I will. I can only imagine the things I’ll come across…

Day 2
Second day! Still so excited, so much to do! Lots of work to be done on the expedition! I have to start a routine, need to keep on track and get my sleep in. Can’t be all tired and groggy when I do my tasks!

Day 6
I’ve been a bit busy so I forgot to write my entries for the past 3 days. I took some photos of the stars and of my crew members. And they have ramen, which is like, one of my favourite foods! To think they’d serve ramen in outer space right?? They sure are getting resourceful.

I don’t know, I feel like I’ve done everything there is to do far. Getting kind of bored but I just have to try to find new things. The bridge is annoying, the activities are kind of tedious but you have to do what you must, right? We’re switching areas soon, so can’t wait to see what else there is to do!

Day 8
We’re in observatory now! So far liking it better than bridge but I know some of my crew mates really liked bridge… to each their own. I made a whale shark friend! He looked to cute and chubby… I guess being pulled out of his regular environment put him into shock or something though, so he passed away soon after. Sometimes I think I can see him in the stars… rest in peace, buddy.

Day 13
Scavenger hunt! It was a fun way to keep me entertained. My crew mates were a lot quicker than I was though, so they found everything on the list before I knew what was going on… it was fun to be part of the adventure though. It’s been a little bit lonely at times… maybe the alien plush will give me some good company.

More adventure to come!

 

[OswinOswald]

Stardate 4321.306

You know how I always wanted to be an astronaut when I was growing up? Well, I'm here to tell you it was a horrible idea! We are stuck on this space station which is completely overrun by weird creepy alien babies =( Normal babies are ok sometimes - they can be cute when they coo and spit bubbles. But these babies are hungry demons! They glow in the dark, so at least you can see when they're coming. But basically, the whole space station is awash in an eerie green glow all the time because there are so many of them, so you just have to assume one is nearby. I was trying to go to the space toilet (which in and of itself is a whole ordeal and a story for another day), when a creepy green baby poked its head into the restroom. I tried my best to shoo it out, but it kept mumbling about wanting stardust candy. I was already all tangled up trying to maneuver the space toilet, so I waited until I was done to try and wrestle with the space baby. Those things are not only slippery, but the slime they are covered in is a glittering neon green! I'm not sure if it will ever wash away. Well, at least now you'll always be able to see me coming too!

 

[Newbiemayor]

Spoiler

It's been a crazy few weeks. I was disappointed when I made it to camp and it was still in ruins, but then we boarded Gulliver's ship and made it to "The Lopez." I never expected that I'd find myself in space, though I always wanted to go. And now I'm finally here and it's beautiful.

It's gorgeous.

I never want to go home, but unfortunately, "The Lopez" is in danger and we have to prepare for evacuation. I don't know how I'll handle another camp being destroyed, but these past few weeks, I've almost forgotten about our impending doom looming on the horizon.

I've had the pleasure of being on a team with the other members of my cabin and we've taken to calling ourselves the "moon bunnies." We've continued with many of our initial objectives: Delivering packages, Studying aliens, Stargazing and I've even had time to enjoy some games with my cabin-mates! Gulliver finally made it back to the ship this week and he brought with him these strange, green alien creatures. We counted them all up but they escaped and scattered around the station. They look pretty creepy but they haven't bothered me yet so I don't pay them any mind now.

This trip has not gone exactly how I expected, but looking out at the swirling galaxies outside the station's windows; I'd never have it any other way.

 

[lieryl]

Spoiler

Listen, I came to camp for a good time. I was looking forward to kicking my feet up, feeling the sun on my face, and dipping my toes in the cool water of the lake that almost drowned us all last year. What I did not expect was to be trapped in space, an asteroid hurtling towards us, and the bird who got us into this mess currently nowhere to be found. However, this was not even close to the worst part. Gods no. The worst part is they put us to WORK on top of everything.

So there I was relaxing on the floor of the spaceship (because of course no one packed furniture) and in comes a captain talking about "gyroids" and "habitats" like I knew what any of that meant. We were to construct areas for these creepy dudes so that they could feel secure? Or something? Mind you, my entire quarter still did not even have a proper place to sit down ourselves. I was a bit miffed, but I got to work constructing a literal stone cathedral for these little heathens. My hands ached and I think my back was close to caving in, but thankfully I finished with my spine intact. I proceeded to bid the gyroids goodbye and went back to moping on the cold floor. By then I had thought that would be the end of my manual labor, but BOY WAS I WRONG.

Next week comes, we're all still in space and the asteroid is still on its way to end my misery. Another captain then comes barging in and informs us of exciting news. We have common rooms! What joy! I can finally sit down somewhere that isn't the floor! My happiness was short-lived. They led us to empty rooms. More barren wastelands. I was shocked. They gestured towards cans of paint in the corner and told us to get to work. Truly I was flabbergasted. But I was also in space with nothing better to do, so I once again sucked it up and picked up a hammer. After countless hours, many injuries, and enough paint fumes to knock out a large elephant, we had made something that could maybe pass for a common room. Sure, if you sat on the “couch” too quickly it would probably break, but having anywhere to sit at all was a blessing. We collapsed in our makeshift room with relief, knowing there was no way they'd make us do any more work.

WRONG AGAIN. That bird came back with a jar of weird alien babies and now half the ship is overrun. I am currently hiding in an air vent just in case they're looking for a clean-up crew, because trust me, I am NOT the one. If we make it back to Earth alive, I swear I need a seven year hibernation. And also I’m suing Gulliver for emotional damages.

 

[S.J.]

An Intruder on the Lopez ​

Onboard the Lopez, four crews work in shifts. The International Space Cetacean crew, led by co-Captains Mick and Pandapples, were starting a new shift in the Obsevatory. That morning, most of us were ready to work! Cadets Renn and Ketchup were already in the common room eating breakfast. I was shaking Cadet Agnes awake, telling her we were going to be late!

Just as I did, Captain Mick barged in, “Where is it?!” he cried, “Where’s my beloved space whale plush?!”

Cadet Aquilla looked thoughtful. “I can’t seem to find my heart bopper headband.”

“Oh, I couldn’t find my giant ribbon this morning either,” I replied.

Whispers circulated the ship about the missing items. Alien intruder. Zipper T Bunny. Weird green baby. Noone seemed to have the same story, and we went to sleep that night, cautious about where we left our belongings.

Everyone was awoken the next morning by Cadet Oak’s loud cry, “Aaaah! My bunny hood is gone!” We searched but couldn’t find it.

“I’m starting to think there really is an alien intruder.” Cadet Renn said.

I questioned Cadet Leader Kilza, “You were awake late, assessing crew performance and calculating stats , did you see anything?”

“No aliens or green babies that I saw.” Kilza responded.

Heading down to breakfast, we met Moon Bunny Captain Mistreil in the hall, holding something behind her back. “What’s that?” Captain Mick asked.

“Nothing!” Mistreil yelped. “It’s mine!”

I looked behind Mistreil’s back. “It’s a space whale!”

“No it’s not, it’s HALF a space whale!” Mistreil showed it off.

Captain Mick cried, “My space whale! First you stretched him, and now you’ve torn him in half!”

“I didn’t! I found him like this!” argued Mistreil.

Suspecting Mistreil was responsible for the stolen items, we devised a plan to catch her during the night. Early the next morning, there was a loud CRASH! “We got you, Mistreil!” Mick yelled.

Cadet Renn switched the light on. “Uuuuuuh, Captain...”

“HONK-SHOO. Snoring sounds, etc…” Gulliver was caught in the trap, fast asleep, clutching at the back half of a space whale and a single shoe. “HONK-SHOO… NO! Don’t make me go back to space! It’s cold and dark and – huh?!”

Cadet Renn poked Gulliver. “What are you up to?!”

Gulliver woke up, and then fell back to sleep. “Let him sleep. I’ve an idea!” Cadet Leader Kilza said. We loosened Gulliver from the trap. He began wandering around the quarters, grabbing at whatever was in reach. “HONK-SHOO. Oh, another communicator part. I’ll go home soon.”

We quietly followed Gulliver around the quarters, out the door, down the downstairs, and into the cargo hold. Gulliver dumped everything from his arms, right onto a pile of other stolen items!

Captain Mick picked up the back half of his whale. “I guess it wasn’t Mistreil after all.” He said. “I’d better go apologise.”

And that’s how Mistreil got away with tearing Mick’s space whale in half. For shame!

 

[That Marshal Fangirl]

Tuesday, August 15th, 2023

Every time I look around, I find myself having a hard time conceiving that I'm in space.

Just a mere few weeks ago, I received an invitation in the mail without a sender name, inviting me to come back to Camp Bell Tree. The letter enclosed had an address, a date, and a list of supplies. The supplies mentioned seemed odd for camping, but I didn't question it too much. When the date arrived, I packed my car and drove to the location. Imagine my shock when I found not a campground, but some kind of rocket launching center. In the middle of it all was an enormous spaceship labeled "The Lopez". There were hundreds of people arriving at the same time, seemingly just as confused as I was. Before I had much time to think, several people in color-coded uniforms exited the spaceship and started herding us into groups. Someone shoved a spacesuit into my hands and we were led off into different sections of "The Lopez". The weeks that ensued were full of activities unlike any I'd ever experienced at a camp before.

So, here we are in the present. I myself am part of the Moon Bunnies group, and our spacesuits are a light silvery color with a small bunny patch on the chest. We are not the most active group on the ship, but we are full of team spirit and optimism. Lately, we've been doing scavenging races with the International Space Cetacean team and counting spooky green babies in a jar. Speaking of, there's been sightings of the tiny green objects outside of the jar as well. We don't think they're supposed to do that, but more than one person has seen a little flash of green streak by as they're trying to sleep. We're not sure whether to be amused or a little scared, honestly. I don't have time to write much more, as this is the last day of activities at Space Camp Bell Tree. If I get abducted by a hoard of little alien babies, tell my parents I love them.

Signing Off,
Moon Bunny Emmaka

 

[Snowifer]

Log One

I've been sent out on mission to explore this new planet. The first week was fairly uneventful with just roaming the wilds and setting up camp. Thankfully, I haven't been attacked at all though I believe that the fires I've been lighting may attract something eventually. I've hidden away the spaceship for now until I return at the end of my journey. I'm not sure what they meant when they said explore, but I think mapping out what I can as well as making notes on the flora and fauna will be enough. So far, it's just been bugs and some small flying animals that look a lot like birds? It's weird to think that this planet has life so similar to what I've seen at home.

Log Two

The fires I've been lighting overnight has caught the attention of the intelligent species of this planet. They seem to be wary, but given how differently they dress from me, I'd expect as much. Let's hope I can communicate with them since they've never had an intergalactic visitor before. I'll offer some of the peaches I brought here as a gift and take it from there.

Log Three

Luckily, my picture book and a lot of hand gestures has let us communicate. They also seem to really like the peaches i gave the. Thanks to the help from the locals, I've been able to roughly map out the continent that we're on as well as have notes on the other ones. For now, I'll return to report my findings, but I definitely have a lot more to discover.

The End?

 

[Guire]

LOG: ????

AAAAH I SMUGGLED SOME OF THE ALIEN BABIES OFF THE SHIP TO DO MY OWN RESEARCH AND JUST LIKE GULLIVER SAID THEY’RE BEGINNING TO MELD TOGETHER AND EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE TEENY TINY THEY’RE BECOMING SOMETHING GARGANTUAN, EVEN DISLOCATING THEIR JOINTS IN ORDER TO BETTER FIT INTO THEIR HORRIFIC, MONSTROUS TEMPLATE, CREATING WAVES OF SICKENING CRACKS AS THEIR BONES POP OUT.

IT SEEMS LIKE I DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT AND I’D LIKE TO FORMALLY REQUEST THAT IF THIS LOG IS TRANSMITTED YOU COME TO MY LOCATION AND DESTROY ALL TRACES OF THIS PLANET AS SOON IT WILL BE OVERRUN WITH THESE HORRIFIC DEMON ALIEN CHILDREN WHATEVER THEY ARE I HATE THEM.

I DON’T KNOW HOW THE LARGE BEING THEY ARE FORMING HAS SUCH LONG CLAWS AS THEY THEMSELVES ONLY HAVE TEENY TINY ONES BUT THEY DO AND IT’S SUPER SCARY, I HOPE THAT THEY DON’T SLASH AT ME WITH THEM AS THEY ARE VERY SHARP LOOKING MAYBE IF I SURVIVE YOU GUYS COULD PICK ME UP FIRST BEFORE BLOWING UP THE PLANET OR WHATEVER? THAT’D BE NICE AND THEN I CAN TELL THE STORY TO EVERYONE AND LAUGH ABOUT IT RIGHT? RIGHT? OH DEAR IT’S RUNNING AFTER ME NOW GOTTA GO!​

 

[Giddy]

Got it to 500

Spoiler: Giddy's Log

It's quite ironic writing this log, while I sit comfortably in the observatory. I usually sit by the huge windows overlooking the dark, glittering space; with a galaxy stitched blanket, a book in my lap and a warm beverage soaking my fingertips.

It's the best spot for when you want to unwind from doing tasks all day or staring at Gulliver's horrifcally long, and questionable messages. I'm not the only one, as the moon bunnies frequent the area for work, and stop and admire the comets sizzling pass or snapping some pictures of the purple haze of a nebula; their bunny ears perk in interest.

When everyone got their desired spirit animal, or actually nevermind, their name and flag; everyone scrambled to create fun designs to wear. The Galaxolotis designed some funky space gear, their helmets had gills that glowed. My crew knitted together some warm space whale jumpers, and Crew 2 wore mint green body paint. We either thought they're were aliens on board, looking for their alien babies, or a scurry of Mint look alikes!

Honestly, when I first came aboard this ship, the fear of the unknown, and flying through a huge cosmos with no end in sight, did worry me.
Even going through the dimly lit corridors that excrete steam into our faces (told you my toolbox would come in handy!) made me wish I didn't watch any of those space movies before I came aboard. But being apart of such a wonderful team with such artistic and creative minds; I have enjoyed the camp more than expected!

Being able to create my ID - and getting denied access into Gulliver's corters - has been a treat. I loved star gazing with my team, creating constellations, and watching for any space whales to swim/fly by. I'll be sure to tell Wilbur all about them back home.

I get the most excited when we get to explore small planets on our trip. It can be quite unnerving at first, who knows what's out there. But the moment my boots hit the floor, I run off to explore!
The strange plants are a sight to be hold, so I click, click for some good shots. I try and bring back pets to show off back home, but my crew don't think it's a good idea. Maybe because they're not space whale shaped?

Either way, it's been a few busy weeks~ I can't help but get a headache via home, but if I had more time out here, away from all the stress; it would be wonderful.
I guess another way I would say it, would be thank you. Thank everyone for having me on the team, and keeping me busy with great fun and games - as long as the connection was stable - and having such great team work with everyone. It's been a cosmic blast, in a fantastic way.

I need to go now, I think one of my crew members found my hidden pet under the space console.
/SPOILER]

 

[Zerous]

This is one of the dumbest 2am-fuelled things I've ever written, but I kind of love it-

The Epic Adventures of an Observatory Lookout:​

I stood on the external balcony, stationed outside the quarantined observatory. I was on outside duty today, ensuring the alien babies did not escape. Peering through the thick glass, I observed the strange lifeforms. With their large black eyes and small frame, they looked oddly.. cute? But I’d seen what they could do; getting them into the observatory had already cost 3 arms, 1 leg and half a Space Whale plush. I kept the remaining half at my side, a solemn reminder. Shivering, I turned back around to face open space, feeling thousands of eyes piercing into me. I grasped onto my trusty ParticleDestroyR-2000XC5817.4, hoping I wouldn’t need it tonight.

Suddenly the balcony started vibrating, and I could feel a deep hum in my bones. “Hello??” I shouted out pointlessly, as we were in space. No response, unsurprisingly. Except the Space Whale almost the size of the Lopez erupting from around the side of the ship. I guess that counts as an answer. But.. the Whale, they were known as elegant, rather shy creatures, not often coming towards civilisation. So why was it here, I pondered. It seemed almost… panicked.

Then I saw it. Or him, rather. On the Space Whale’s back sat, smiling vaguely into the void was none other than Zipper T. Bunny. Once part of my quarters, the Moon Bunnies, Zipper went rogue on an expedition a few years back, stealing half of our crew’s rations and stardust before using the escape pod. He hadn’t been seen since. So why was he here now??

Looking at the poor whale, I knew I had to help somehow. But as I watched Zipper pull out a bag of konpeito bombs, I knew I couldn’t do this alone. We really should get communicators at some point, I thought to myself. Some backups would be good. Actually, what was I meant to do if the aliens had escaped anyways? Scream into the void? Wait.. was I a sacrifice?! Coming to this realisation, I turned to the only other lifeforms in my vicinity, the children. Hands shaking, I pulled my ParticleDestoyR out, and aimed it at the thick glass.

KABOOM

Thousands of the aliens came clambering out of the open window. Thankfully we had shut off connection to the observatory, so everyone inside should be safe. But as a dozen of the children circled me, I realised I had bigger issues. My heart beat, and I realised I only had one choice. I sat, and offered the aliens my decrepit Whale Plush. One child came forwards and picked up my offering. At a volume that shook me to my core, the aliens screeched in unison, before shooting off at Zipper, teeth bared. I don’t think we’ll be seeing Zipper again for a while. Just a hunch.

As the Space Whale swum happily off into the galaxy, I smiled to myself, and the thousands of new tiny friends I had made. Won’t my crew be so happy with me when I tell them?!